Funnel.



.,NQ- 637,285. Patented Nov.- 2l, `|899.

J. M. E. mEnEL & o. F. .1. GRAHL.

F U N N E L.

(Application filed Maf. 7, 1898. Renewed Feb. 25, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. E. RIEDEL AND OTTO F. J. GRAHL, OF FORT WAYNE, INDIANA.

FUNNEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,285, dated November21, 1899..

Application liled March 7,1898. Renewed February 2,5, 1899. Serial No.706,878. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:V

Beit known that we, JOHN M. E. RIEDEL and OTTO F. J GRAHL, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen andState of Indiana. have invented a new and useful Funnel, of which thefollowing is a specilication.

The present method of filtering liquids as practiced by pharmacists andothers, in which filtering-paper is used as the medium inside of anordinary funnel, is a very tedious and slow process. As soon as thepaper becomes thoroughly soaked with the liquid it flattens out and liesvery closely against the liaring walls of the funnel, thereby preventingthe liquid from flowing freely down between the funnel and the filteringmedium. As the funnel-body is contracted at its lower end where it joinswith the spout and as the filtering-paper has a tendency to slip intothe spout, the latter is liable to become choked and the free passage ofthe liquid is interrupted. In our invention we overcome these defects bya novel construction of the funnel which holds the filtering material inplace against Hattening by capillary attraction upon the flared wall ofthe funnel and which obviates choking up of the spout by the settling orvertical displacement of the filtering material within said spout.

We are aware that ithas heretofore been proposed to provide a funnelwith ribs which extend to the spout, but such prior devices have theribs arranged or grouped in close relation to each other at the spout.Hence the ribs must be made quite small or shallow to provide for thepassage of the liquid from bove, and when-capillary attraction sets inthe filtering material obstructs the ilow of liquid from the funnel-bodyinto its spout. We provide the funnel with an enlarged throat betweenthe spout and the flared body, thus forming a chamber of greatercross-sectional area than the diameter of the spout, and above thischamber terminates the lower extremities of the ribs or projections,thus insuring free flow of the liquid from the funnelbody into theenlarged throat and enabling ribs or projections of proper depth to beused on the interior surface of the funnel-body for holding thefiltering material in place against the capillary attraction between thefiltering material and the funnel.

The invention consists, therefore, in a funnel especially adapted forholding a filtering material provided with a throat or chamber betweenits body and the spout and with projections arranged to hold a filteringmaterial in spaced relation to said funnel for the purpose of formingspaces adapted to permit the 6o free flow of the filtered liquid and forthe unobstructed escape of the air from the vessel into which saidliquid is adapted to pass.

The invention consists, further, of a filtering-funnel provided with athroat or chamber between the body and the spout and spacing projectionson the inner surface of the body, certain of said projectionsterminating contiguous to the throat or chamber. We also employ a seriesof longitudinal ribs within 7o the funnel-body which extend from theenlarged throat upwardly and are spaced at suitable intervals from eachother, and between said longitudinal ribs are provided other ribs orprojections which prevent the folded paper from iatteningout in theintervals between the longitudinal ribs.

To enable others to understand our invention, we have illustrated thepreferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying draw- 8o correspondingparts in each of the several flg- 9o ures of the drawings.

. Our improved funnel for use in connection with the layer of paper as afiltering medium is designated in its entirety in the accompanyingdrawings by the numeral l.

funnel consists of a body 2, a spout 3, and an enlarged throat 4intermediate between the funnel-body and the spout thereof and forming achamber of greater cross-sectional area than the diameter of the spout,as clearly in- Ico dicated by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

To prevent the layer of liltering-paper which Fig. 2 is a plan 85 Thesaid spout 3.

ID l

is placed within the funnel-body from iattening against and upon theinner surfaces of said body when the layer of filtering-paper becomesthoroughly saturated with the liquid, we provide ribs or projections onthe inner surface of the body and which terminate at the entrance to theenlarged throat at of the funnel. The ribs may be of suitable form andarrangement within the funnel-body, but it is essential to our inventionthat the funnel be constructed with the enlarged throat and that theribs or projections shall terminate at the entrance to said throat. Inthe drawings we have illustrated a preferred arrangement of theprojections, which consists of the longitudinal ribs 5, the diagonalribs 7, and the short longitudinal ribs 8, all of said ribs being ofuniform depth throughout the inner surface of the funnel-body. The ribs5 extend longitudinally of the funnel-body, substantially from the upperedge thereof,and terminate at their lower ends, as at 6, at the entranceto the enlarged throat, and said longitudinal ribs are spaced atsuitable intervals apart. In the intervals between said longitudinalribs 5 are arranged the ribs 7 and S, the depth of which issubstantially equal to that of the longitudinal ribs 5. The ribs 7,between two adjacent longitudinal ribs 5, are arranged diagonally to theribs 5 at the upper part of the funnel-body, but the short ribs 8 liebelow the diagonal ribs 7 and in the direction of the length of thebody, said short ribs S terminating above the terminals of the ribs 5,all as clearly indicated by Fig. l.

In the construction of our funnel the body 2 is iiared or ofsubstantially inverted-cone shape, and the lower part of said body isswelled or flared outwardly for the purpose of producing in the funnelthe enlarged throat 4, from which extends the contracted The funnel maybe made in a single piece of metal, glass, rubber, or any other suitablematerial, or said funnel may be made in sections and its parts suitablyjoined together.

Within the ribbed surface of the flared funnel-bodyis arranged the layerof filtering material, (indicated by dotted lines at 9,) the lower edgeor extremity of which enters the enlarged throat 4 of the funnel, andthis filtering material or paper is supported by the ribs or anges awayfrom and free from contact with the inner surface of the funnelbody,thus providing channels or d ucts within the funnel, through whichchannels the filtered liquid is free to iiow uninterruptedly into theenlarged throatiand thence through the spout into a suitable vessel.

The ribs or flanges provided in our funnel are quite thin. In fact, theyare nearly of uniform thickness from the line where they join the bodyto the free edges thereof. The arrangement of the short ribsin theintervals between the longitudinal ribs 5 prevents the filtering-paperfrom Iiattening out and having contact with the inner surface of thefunnel in the spaces between the ribs. larged throat between thefunnel-body and the spout enables us to employ ribs which are the sameheight at their lower ends as at their upper ends, and as the ribsconverge toward the throat they are grouped quite closely together toproperlysupportthe filtering-paper adjacent to the throat without theemployment of short ribs between the longitudinal ribs. The describedarrangement of ribs supports the filtering material orlayer 9 throughoutthe length of the funnel-body and free from contact with the innersurface thereof, and said ribs form the ducts or channels for the flowof the liquid through the funnel and into the enlarged throat thereof.Said throat 4, furthermore, permits the liquid to fiow freely throughthe same into the spout, and as the filtering material is held by theribs 5 away from contact with the body and the throat any tendency ofthe Iillering material to settle downwardly into the funnel and thethroat 4 thereof does not choke the spout or throat, whereby the throatinsures the free flow of the filtered liquid through the funnel and intothe spout.

It will be noted that the funnel at a point between its body and thespout is formed with a bulged or enlarged portion which interrupts thecontinuity of the taper of the body toward the spout. It will also beobserved that certain of the ribs or projections terminate at orcontiguous to the throat or chamber. In the construction shown the ribs7 and 8 terminate above the throat and within the limits of the body,while the other ribs 9 terminate at or in the spout.

Our improved funnel is simple and durable in construction. The filteringagent is readily removable to permit access to be obtained to theinterior surface of the funnel for the purpose of cleansing the same.The device is cheap of manufacture, and it is efficient and reliable inservice.

It is evident that changes in the form and proportion of parts may bemade by a skilled mechanic without departing from the spirit orsacrificing the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim is l. A funnelcomprising a body, a throat, a spout, ribs or flanges extendinglongitudinally within the body and terminating at the enlarged throatthereof, and projections in the intervals between the longitudinal ribs,substantially as described.

2. A funnel provided with an enlarged throat between its body and spout,the longitudinal ribs extending within the body and The en- IOO IIO

having their lower terminals grouped closely 'with the longitudinal ribswhich have their lower extremities grouped closely together, thediagonal ribs in the intervals between the longitudinal ribs, and shortribs below said diagonal ribs and terminating above the lowerextremities of said longitudinal ribs, all the ribs being of uniformdepth throughout their length, substantially as described.

4. A funnel adapted for holding a filtering material, provided with athroat or chamber between the body and the spout, and with projectionson the inner surface of said body, certain of said projections occupyingsuch relation to the throat as to coperate therewith in holding a layerof filtering material out of contact with the throat for the formationof spaces adapted for the free flow of the filtered liquid through thefunnel and for the escape of air between the funnel and said filteringInaterial, as and for the purposes described.

5. Afunnel provided with a throat or chamber between the body and thespout and with spacing projections on the inner surface of the body,certain of said projections terminating contiguous to said throat orchamber, substantially as described.

6. A funnel provided with an enlarged throat between the body and thespout, forming a chamber of greater cross-sectional area than the widestportion of the spout, the wall of said throat being bulged outwardly andinterrupting the continuity of the taper of the body to the spout, and aseries of ribs on the inner surface of the funnel, certain of said ribsterminating contiguous to the throat or chamber, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have heretoaffixed our signa tures in the presence of witnesses.

JOHN M. E. RIEDEL. OTTO F. J. GRAHL.

Witnesses for Riedel: B. J. ELLERT, PAUL F. KUHNE. Witnesses for Grahl:

W. J. F. PIEPENBRINK, CHRIST BUHLER.

